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As overall COVID-19 cases drop in the Hunter, there's a spike of infections in children. So, how many children aged 12 to 15 have already been vaccinated where you live?

Police have resumed a forensic dig at a former scout camp in Lake Macquarie as they investigate the unsolved murders of 18-year-old Robyn Hickie and 14-year-old Amanda Robinson. The two teenagers went missing within weeks of each other in 1979.

In 2019, during the height of the drought, the town of Murrurundi ran out of water. Hopefully that will never happen again after a new reservoir became operational this week.

Monday, November 1 was the day people living in the Central Coast and Greater Sydney could come back to the Hunter — as long as they were double vaxxed. There was excitement from our local tourist industry, which has been doing it tough throughout Sydney's long lockdown.

When you're tasked with being the RAAF's first F-35A display pilot for the newest stealth fighter jet, it's not surprising you want to put in the practise hours. If you've looked up around Williamtown, you might have seen Flight Lieutenant Ross Bowman putting the F-35A Lighting II through its paces ahead of a special event later this month.

Madonna was right when she said "music makes the people come together" and that's been on display in Lake Macquarie. Two neighbours with a shared musical passion found themselves in the backyard recording songs during the lockdown and shared them with the world.

To mark the occasion, we hit the ABC archives. Take a step back in time and see what crossing the Hunter River looked like before the Stockton Bridge was constructed.

Only a few hundred regent honeyeaters are left in the wild and a large population calls the Hunter home. A captive breeding program is doing its bit to help, releasing birds in Kurri Kurri and Cessnock.

You've heard about the soaring prices of homes in the Hunter, but what's happening when it comes to blocks of land? Unfortunately for those trying to get into the market, there's a boom in land prices too.

The Upper Hunter Youth Council has not let a global pandemic or continued lockdown get in the way of the work they've been elected to do. Meeting on video calls, it's been business as usual as the council meets regularly to discuss local issues big and small.

Marine park plans: The NSW government has released its draft management plan for the Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park. Environment Minister Matt Kean says it strikes the right balance between conservation and recreation, but there are no specific plans for changes to rules or zoning.

First flights arrive: Newcastle Airport welcomed its first flight from Melbourne in months on Monday. The flight was full of people taking the opportunity to visit loved ones they've been separated from due to months of COVID-19 restrictions.

Appeal for Stockton shooting information: Newcastle police are urging anyone who may have seen a specific model of car in the Stockton area on the night 61-year-old Stacey Klimovitch was shot and killed to come forward. It's believed to be a dark coloured 2013 to 2017 Holden Commodore VF SSV V8 sedan.

Carol Swadling is a local photographer intent on sharing her perspective on beauty, nature, "and everything else in my world!" Here, Carol shares a mesmerising shot of the Lake Macquarie Bolton Point jetty. So still, and so peaceful! Check out the rest of her Hunter photography on Instagram.

You can show everyone what the world looks like where you live by using the hashtag #ABCmyphoto on Instagram or by uploading your photos online here. 

The weather this spring has been dominated by storms and spectacular sunrises. These will both continue this week and into the weekend. Pack the brolly for your weekend activities though. It will be warm but showers will hang around, possibly developing into storms.

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ABC Newcastle acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.